09/27/2026
They say our nervous system doesn’t know the difference between being chased by a lion or being stuck in traffic, or perhaps being in the middle of a wildfire.
I had a scare Friday during the firestorm that ravaged Benton City and West Richland. My son, his friend and 2 cats got stuck in a ditch trying to evacuate due to zero visibility from the smoke and wind.
It happened so fast with no warning besides his own eyes seeing the flames nearby. I reached out to him to see if they were evacuated and that’s when he told me they were safe but needed a ride.
I live 10 minutes away and so I flew to go get to him. There was a truck on fire blocking me but thankfully 2 different good Samaritans picked them up and 1 brought him to me.
When I saw him covered in black, I knew it was worse than he lead me to believe, not wanting me to worry. I held him tight as I sobbed just so grateful he was alive. I mourned his pets and belongings since we thought it was all gone. I worried about neighbors going through their hellish escape and for the firefighters battling flames, smoke, extreme wind, and ash.
By that evening we were informed the pets were safe, we saw with our eyes the house was safe. We didn’t sleep well but our hearts and minds were just so full of gratitude.
The next day we saw the destruction and saw how close it got to neighbors’ homes as well as my son’s home. There was a patch of charred earth that just ended right before his house. His car in the ditch was right next to a burned down house but miraculously didn’t catch fire.
My heart goes out to the families who lost their homes and I am also amazed that it wasn’t so much worse. Seeing how close the black char got to so many homes. Thank you to the firefighters, one who even shared that just that day they said they were glad wildland fire season was over.
I’m a woman of few words until I’m not, but I just wanted to share that when we use terms like nervous system, fight or flight, and energy being trapped in our bodies this is a perfect obvious scenario of that. Day to day of being in survival mode or just keeping our head above water or the mental load we carry takes a toll on our bodies and immune systems. We may be unaware because it’s not like an actual lion is chasing us or our house is on fire but again experts say our brain, as smart and capable as it is, just doesn’t know the difference.
I just happened to have an appointment to see for acupuncture on Saturday before she moves to Seattle and told her my nervous system needed help and she sure did help, thank you!
There are so many ways to help ourselves heal from this onslaught of tiny sometimes big fires we go through. I’m here to share my little bit of tips I know to help bodies and minds get out of fight or flight and into rest and digest mode more often. Take care of yourself, you are the best medicine and have power within to find what works for you. I’m still learning and will keep sharing as I go.
Also, do you know how many songs I’ve heard about fires since the firestorm? This being one of my favorites but also a little terrifying.
Breathe in that fresh clean smoke free air and exhale.
It is with much love and gratitude
